StorylineIn 1982 legendary British heavy metal band Spinal Tap attempt an American comeback tour accompanied by a fan who is also a film-maker. The resulting documentary, interspersed with powerful performances of Tap's pivotal music and profound lyrics, candidly follows a rock group heading towards crisis, culminating in the infamous affair of the eighteen-inch-high Stonehenge stage prop.

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This Is Spinal Tap is a 1984 American rock music mockumentary comedy film written, scored by, and starring Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. The film portrays the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap. Directed by Reiner, the movie satirizes the wild personal behavior and musical pretensions of hard rockand heavy metal bands, as well as the hagiographic tendencies of rock documentaries of the time.Reiner and the three main actors are credited as the writers of the movie because they ad libbed much of the dialogue. Several dozen hours of footage were filmed before Reiner edited it to the released movie.The three main members of Spinal Tap—David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls and Nigel Tufnel—are played by actors McKean, Shearer, and Guest, respectively. The three actors play their musical instruments and speak with mock English accents throughout the movie. Reiner appears as Marty Di Bergi, the maker of the documentary. Other actors in the movie are Tony Hendra as group manager Ian Faith, and June Chadwick as St. Hubbins' interfering girlfriend Jeanine. Actors Paul Shaffer, Fred Willard, Fran Drescher, Bruno Kirby, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley, Jr., Patrick Macnee, Anjelica Huston, Vicki Blue,Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Brinke Stevens, and Linnea Quigley all play supporting roles or make cameo appearances in the movie.In 2002, This Is Spinal Tap was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry.

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Stylistically, the movie is a parody of the Cinema Verite style, purportedly filmed and directed by the fictional Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner). The faux documentary covers a 1982 United States concert tour for the fictional British rock group "Spinal Tap" to promote their new album Smell the Glove, but interspersed with one-on-one interviews with the members of the group and footage of the group from previous points in their career.The band was started by childhood friends David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) during the 1960s. Originally called "The Originals", then "The New Originals" to distinguish themselves from the existing group of the same name, they settled on the name "The Thamesmen", finding success with their skiffle/R&B success, "Gimme Some Money". They changed their name again to "Spinal Tap" and enjoyed limited success with the flower power anthem, "Listen to the Flower People". Ultimately, the band found their long success in heavy metal and produced several albums. The group was eventually joined by bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), keyboardist Viv Savage (David Kaff), and a series of drummers, each of whom had mysteriously died under odd circumstances, including spontaneous combustion, a "bizarre gardening accident" and, in at least one case, choking to death on the vomit of person(s) unknown ("you can't dust for vomit"); of the death of one of whom the police said "this is a mystery better left unsolved". DiBergi's interviews with St. Hubbins and Tufnel reveal that they are competent composers and musicians, but are dimwitted and immature. Tufnel, in showing his guitar collection to DiBergi, reveals an amplifier that has volume knobs that go to eleven; when DiBergi asks, "Why not just make ten louder and make that the top?" Tufnel can only reply, "These go to eleven." Tufnel later plays a somber classical music composition on piano for DiBergi, which he says is called "Lick My Love Pump".As the tour starts, concert appearances are repeatedly canceled due to low ticket sales. Tensions continue to increase when several major retailers refuse to sell Smell the Glove because of its sexist cover art and there is growing resentment shown towards the group's manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra). Tufnel becomes even more perturbed when St. Hubbins' girlfriend Jeanine (June Chadwick) — a manipulative yoga and astrology devotee — joins the group on tour and begins to participate in band meetings and attempts to influence their costumes and stage presentation. The band's label, Polymer Records, opts to release Smell the Glove with an entirely black cover without consulting the band. The album fails to draw crowds to autograph sessions with the band.In order to rekindle interest, Tufnel suggests staging a performance of "Stonehenge," an epic song that is traditionally accompanied in concert by a lavish stage show, and asks Ian to order a giant Stonehenge megalith for the show. However, Tufnel mislabels the sketch's dimensions, using a double prime symbol instead of single prime. The resulting prop, seen for the first time by the group during a show, ends up only 18 inches high, making the group a laughing stock on stage. The group accuses Faith of mismanagement, and when St. Hubbins suggests Jeanine should co-manage the group, Faith quits in disgust.The tour continues, rescheduled into smaller and smaller venues. Tufnel becomes marginalized by Jeanine and St. Hubbins. At their next gig (at a United States Air Force base) Tufnel is upset by an equipment malfunction and leaves the group in the middle of a show. In their next gig, in an amphitheater at an amusement park (second-billed behind a puppet-show), the remaining members are forced to perform fusion-esque experimental music for lack of Tufnel's material.At the last show of the tour, as the group considers venturing into a musical theatre production on the theme of Jack the Ripper, Tufnel returns and informs them that while their American reception has ended, the group is wildly popular in Japan, and that Faith would like to arrange a new tour in that country. The group likes the idea, letting Tufnel back into the band for their final performance. Despite losing their drummer Mick Shrimpton (R.J. Parnell) as he explodes on stage, Spinal Tap ends up enjoying great success on their Japanese tour.

Фильм изобилует тонким английским юмором.

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(Concerning the cover of "Smell the Glove"): It's like a black mirror... you can see yourself... in both sides.________________________________________View Quote(From the "This Is Spinal Tap" DVD booklet, "Drummer Necrology") Although the band arguably had 32 drummers during its history, these are the six that are mentioned by name: John "Stumpy" Pepys (1943-1969) Cause of death: Gardening accident.

Marty: The last time Tap toured America, they where, uh, booked into 10,000 seat arenas, and 15,000 seat venues, and it seems that now, on their current tour they're being booked into 1,200 seat arenas, 1,500 seat arenas, and uh I was just wondering, does this mean uh...the popularity of the group is waning?Ian: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no...no, no, not at all. I, I, I just think that the.. uh.. their appeal is becoming more selective....David St. Hubbins: They said the album cover is a bit sexist.Nigel Tufnel: Well, so what? What's wrong with being sexy?David St. Hubbins: Sexist, Nigel....Nigel Tufnel: (holding up a guitar) The sustain, listen to it.Marty DiBergi: I don't hear anything.Nigel Tufnel: Well you would though, if it were playing....(Nigel Tufnel plays the piano)Marty DiBergi: It's pretty.Nigel Tufnel: Yeah, I like it. I've been fooling around with it for a few months now. Very delicate.Marty DiBergi: It's a bit of a departure from what you normally play.Nigel Tufnel: Yeah, well, it's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy that I'm doing in D [pause] minor, which, I always find is really the saddest of all keys, really, I don't know why; it makes people weep instantly to play (Nigel plays, and sings)Nigel Tufnel: It's a horn part.Marty DiBergi: It's very pretty.Nigel Tufnel: You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of...Marty DiBergi: What do you call this?Nigel Tufnel: Well, this piece is called "Lick My Love Pump"....Marty DiBergi: Why don't you make ten a little louder, make that the top number and make that a little louder?Nigel Tufnel: (pause to think it over) These go to eleven....Airport Security Officer: Do you have any artificial plates or limbs?Derek Smalls: Er, not really....Bobbi Flekman: Ian, you put a greased naked woman on all fours, with a dog collar around her neck and a leash, and a man's arm extended out up to here holding the leash, and pushing a black glove in her face to sniff it - you don't find that offensive? You don't find that sexist?Ian Faith: No, I don't! This is 1982, for God's sake...Bobbi Flekman: That's right it's 1982. Get out of the Sixties. We don't have this mentality any more.Ian Faith: Well you should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn't a glove, believe me....Derek Smalls: I mean, people should be envying us, you know.David St. Hubbins: I envy us.Derek Smalls: Yeah.David St. Hubbins: I do.Derek Smalls: Me too....[After Ian Faith has quit managing the band and stormed out]Derek Smalls: Can I raise a practical question at this point?David St. Hubbins: What?Derek Smalls: Are we going to do "Stonehenge" tomorrow?David St. Hubbins: No, we're not gonna fuckin' do "Stonehenge"!!!...Marty DiBergi: David St. Hubbins... I must admit I've never heard anybody with that name.David St. Hubbins: It's an unusual name, well, he was an unusual saint, he's not a very well known saint.Marty DiBergi: Oh, there actually is, uh... there was a St. Hubbins?David St. Hubbins: That's right, yes.Marty DiBergi: What was he the saint of?David St. Hubbins: He was the patron saint of quality footwear....[After the failed "Stonehenge" performance regarding the undersized prop]Ian Faith: I think you guys are making too big a thing of this.Derek Smalls: Making a big thing of it would have been a good idea....Ian Faith: Nigel gave me a drawing that said 18 inches. Now, whether or not he knows the difference between feet and inches is not my problem. I do what I'm told.David St. Hubbins: But you're not as confused as him, are you? I mean, it's not your job to be as confused as Nigel....David St. Hubbins: We say, "Love your brother." We don't say it really, but -Nigel Tufnel: We don't literally say it.David St. Hubbins: No, we don't say it.Nigel Tufnel: We don't really, literally mean it.David St. Hubbins: No, we don't believe it either, but -Nigel Tufnel: But we're not racists.David St. Hubbins: But that message should be clear.________________________________________View QuoteBig Bottom: Big bottom, big bottom, talk about bum-cakes ... my girl's got 'em. Big bottom drive me out of my mind, how can I leave this ... behind?Sex Farm: Working on a sex farm, trying to raise some hard love. Getting out my pitch fork, poking your hay.Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight: You're sweet but you're just four feet, and you still got your baby teeth. You're too young and I'm too well hung, Tonight I'm gonna rock you, Tonight I'm gonna rock you, Tonight!________________________________________View QuoteMarty DiBergi: Hello. My name is Marty DiBergi. I'm a film-maker. I make a lot of commercials. That little dog that chases the covered wagon underneath the sink? That was mine.Artie Fufkin: Do me a favor. Just kick my ass, okay? Kick this ass for a man, that's all. Kick my ass. Enjoy. Come on. I'm not asking, I'm telling with this. Kick my ass.Morty the Mime: It's a kick isn't it? Well, I used to be an actor but I could never remember my lines, so I thought 'just shut up,' you know? Don't say nothing.Viv Savage: Have... a... good... time... all the time.Viv Savage: Quite exciting, this computer magic.Mick Shrimpton: I used to say "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" ...As long as there's sex and drugs, I can do without rock and roll.Marty DiBergi: (To Derek Smalls) So you feel like a preserved moose on stage?________________________________________View QuoteThe Gospel According to Spinal Tap: This pretentious, ponderous group of rock psalms prompts the question "On what day did God create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?"Shark SandwichMarty Dibergi: The review you had on Shark Sandwich which was merely a two word review. Just said "Shit Sandwich."David St. Hubbins: Where did they print that?Derek Smalls: That's not real, is it?________________________________________View Quote[Concerning his epitaph]: Here lies David St. Hubbins.... and why not?________________________________________View QuoteCertainly, in the topsy-turvy world of heavy rock, having a good solid piece of wood in your hand is often useful.________________________________________View QuoteDozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported.________________________________________View QuoteEric "Stumpy Joe" Childs (1945-1974) Cause of death: Choked on vomit, although it was never determined whose vomit it was.________________________________________View QuoteI'm not co-managing this band with anyone. Especially not someone who dresses like an Australian's nightmare.________________________________________View QuoteI'm quite influenced by Mozart and Bach, so I like to think that this piece is more of a Mach really.________________________________________View QuoteI, for one, do not think the problem was that the band was down. I think that the problem may have been that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf. That tended to understate the hugeness of the object.________________________________________View QuoteIt's like how much more black could this be? And the answer is none, none more black.